Skimming devices for swimming pools have been known and used in the past. Such devices include leaf rakes or automatic skimmers powered by the circulation system of a pool. Generally, a leaf rake must be manually handled by an attendant for at least 15 minutes to properly skim the debris from the top of a backyard swimming pool of average size. In many cases, the automatic skimmers require that the filter pump of a pool be operating for at least one hour or more. Even after such effort has been expended, a diluted yet significant amount of dirt still remains on the surface of the water. Moreover, many pools do not have an effective water circulation system so as to make an automatic skimmer work properly. Because of these drawbacks, a need exists for an improved water skimming device and technique which minimizes cleaning time with a minimum expenditure of effort.
Prior disclosures in the field of skimming of water surfaces include the following U.S. Patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,082 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,412 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,074 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,356,088
For the most part, the foregoing patents relate to the separation of oil from water using imperforate skimming devices. Generally, these devices are not suitable for skimming particulate debris from the upper surface of the water of a swimming pool.